Changeable price sign



Oct. 30, 1945. A. H. PULVER, JR 2,388,180

CHANGEABLE PRICE 5 IGN Filed Jan. 20, 1942 CENTS 14 PER GALLON INVENTOR:

gz lluevl ll Pairs/7J2 ATTORNEY IIIIIIIIIIII Patented Oct. 30, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to exhibiting apparatus and more particularly to a changeable price sign for use at gasoline filling stations and other cations.

One object of this invention is to provide a changeable price sign of the above nature in which two sets of detachable price-indicating insert plates are provided for use in back-to-back relationship upon opposite faces of the sign.

Another object is to provide a changeable price sign of the above nature in which the price-indicating plates are adapted to be inserted through the left and right-hand edges of a display frame which is hung for swinging within the confines of a tubular U-shaped exterior supporting frame, the side legs of which serve to hold the insert plates from sliding out when the display fram is in its normal vertical position.

A further object is to provide a changeable price sign of the above nature in which the detachable insert plates may be readily removed endwise from the swinging display frame when the latter is swung either forwardly or rearwardy from its normal vertical position.

A still further object is to provide a changeable price sign of the above nature in which the swinging display frame will be held in vertical centralized position by means of a latch fork hinged to one of the side legs of the exterior supporting frame.

A still further object is to provide a changeable price sign of the above nature which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efiicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 represents a front view in elevation of a changeable price sign embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is an end view of the same, showing by dotted lines the position of the display frame when it has been swung rearwardly about its top pivotal axis to permit changing of the detachable insert plates.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same on a larger scale with parts broken away, taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is a horizontal transverse sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a similar horizontal transverse sectional view of the same taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of two of the insert plates for indicating the price of gasoline sold at the filling station.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the left-hand leg of the external supporting frame, showing the appearance of theshoulder knob which supports the latch fork in, its

locking position.

Referring now to the drawing in which like referenc numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 20 indicates an inverted U-shaped tubular exterior supporting frame having a flat metal horizontal bottom strip 2| for connecting the lower ends of the vertical legs of the frame 20 to a pair of arched depending foot members 22 and 23. The foot members 22 and 23 are secured, preferably by welding, to the legs of the frame 20 and are also secured by welding to the opposite ends of the horizontal connecting strip 2| which is located beneath the arched portion of said foot members.

In order to indicate the price ofgasoline at the particular filling station where the sign is located, provision is made of a swinging hollow display frame 24 of channel-shape cross section and having a pair of parallel inwardly extending flanges 31 throughout its periphery, said frame 24 being preferably rectangular in shape as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing. The display frame 24 is adapted to be removably suspended by a pair of depending hooks 25 and 26 secured to the underside of the top horizontal portion of the exterior frame 20. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the hooks 25 and 26 are adapted to fit within a pair of upstanding eyes 2! and 28 secured to the upper portion of the swinging display frame 24.

In order to permit the gasoline price to be visible from both the front and rear of the. apparatus, the display frame 24 is provided with a pair of upper opposed side plates 38 and 39 and a similar pair of opposed lower side Plates 48 and 49, leaving an aperture 29 therebetween which extends through the intermediate portion of the hollow display frame 24.

Moreover in order to permit the insertion and removal of the detachable insert price-indicating plates 3|, 32, 33, and 34, the opposite vertical edges of the display frame 24 are provided with a pair of elongated alined apertures 30.

The price indications are imprinted upon two sets of insert plates 3|, 32, 33, and 34, the plates 32 and 34 having whole numbers, in this instance the number 14, while the plates 3| and 33 which are narrower than the plates 32 and 34, have fractional numerals imprinted thereon as indicated by as shown in Figures 1 and 6.

Each of the insert plates 3|, 32, 33, and 34, is provided with an inwardly extending end flange 36 having a semi-circular fingerhole 35 at the midportion thereof. In use, the insert plates are arranged back to back with their imprinted surfaces at the front and rear of the sign, and with the flanges 36 thereof in abutment so that the recesses 35 will form a circular fingerhole to pemiit the manual removal of the insert plates whenever desired. This removal of the insert plates may be accomplished by swinging the display frame 24 either to the front or rear of its normal vertical centralized position, as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2. The display frame is prevented from swinging with the wind by means of a latching fork 40 which consists of a pair of outwardly offset opposed Z-shaped legs 4| and 42 (see Figure 4) which are connected at their inner ends by a spindle 43 which passes rearwardly through the left-hand leg of the tubular exterior frame 20, as viewed in Figures 1 and 4.

Provision is also made on the left-hand leg of the exterior frame 20, as viewed in Figure 1, of an enlarged shoulder or boss 44 which serves to support the forward Z-shaped lug 4| of the latch fork 40 in the locking position shown in Figure 1 for holding the display frame 24 from swinging outside of the exterior supporting frame 20.

As clearly shown in Figure 3, th upper opposed side-plates 38 and 39 are provided with upwardly and downwardly bent sections forming concave recesses 50 and and the lower pair of opposed side plates 48 and 49 are provided with downwardly and upwardly bent section forming concave recesses 52 and 53, respectively, whereby the upper and lower edges of the insert plates 3|, 32, 33, and 34 will be seated in the recesses 50, 5|, 52, and 53 held thereby securely in horizontal alinement.

It will be understood that any suitable indicia may be imprinted upon the upper and lower portion of the frame 24, depending upon the brand of the gasoline to be dispensed. It will also be understood that the display frame may be furnished in any desired color to conform with the specifications of the oil company or refineries. For example, with a price sign which is to be employed by the Texaco filling stations, the display frame will be printed in red with a star emblem in the upper portion and the words Cents per gallon in the bottom portion as shown in Figure 1.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent is:

1. In a price indicating sign, a vertical open exterior supporting frame, a swinging display frame located within said open frame and pivotally suspended from the upper part thereof, said display frame having an aperture between the upper and lower sections thereof, two pairs of price indicating plates fitted back-to-back within said aperture and extending through the edges of said display frame, said plates being held from sliding out of said display frame when lying in the plane of said display frame by the edges of said surrounding supporting frame.

2. In a price-indicating sign, an exterior rectangular supporting frame a rectangular swinging display frame hingedly secured to the upper portion of said exterior supporting frame and comprising an inturned channel member extending around the periphery thereof, two pairs of front and rear plate members located within said channel member at the top and bottom thereof and extending across the entire width thereof leaving an intermediate central aperture between said pairs of plates, the lower portion of each of said top plates having an inturned downwardly concave channel, the upper portion of each of said bottom plates having an inturned upwardly extending concave channel, and two pairs of price-indicating insert members fitting within said concave channels and having price indicia facing outwardly from both the front and rear of said display frame.

3. In a price-indicating sign, an exterior rectangular supporting frame, a rectangular swinging display frame hingedly secured to the upper portion of said exterior supporting frame and comprising an inturned channel member extending around the periphery thereof, two pairs of front and rear plate members located within said channel member at the top and bottom thereof and extending across the entire width thereof leaving an intermediate central aperture between said pairs of plates, the lower portion of each of said top plates having an inturned downwardly concave channel, the upper portion of each of said bottom plates having an inturned upwardly extending concave channel, and two pairs of price-indicating insert members fitting within said concave channels and having price indicia facing outwardly from both the front and rear of said display frame, said insert members having inwardly extending abutting flanges on the outer vertical edges thereof.

4. In a price-indicating sign, an exterior rectangular supporting frame, a rectangular swinging display frame hingedly secured to the upper portion of said exterior supporting frame and comprising an inturned channel member extending around the periphery thereof, two pairs of front and rear plate members located within said channel member at the top and bottom thereof and extending across the entire width thereof leaving an intermediate central aperture between said pairs of plates, the lower portion of each of said top plates having an inturned downwardly concave channel, the upper portion of each of said bottom plates having an inturned upwardly extending concave channel, and two pairs of priceindicating insert members fitting within said concave channels and having price indicia facing outwardly from both the front and rear of said display frame, said insert members having inwardly extending abutting flanges on the outer vertical edges thereof, said flanges having alined recesses to form a round finger-hole for permitting said insert plates to be manually slid outwardly from said display frame when the latter is swung out of vertical position.

5. In a price-indicating sign, an exterior rectangular supporting frame, a rectangular swinging display frame hingedly secured to the upper portion of said exterior supporting frame and comprising an inturned channel member extending around the periphery thereof, two pairs of front and rear plate members located within said channel member at the top and bottom thereof and extending across the entire width thereof leaving an intermediate central aperture between said pairs of plates, the lower portion of each of said top plates having an inturned downwardly concave channel, the upper portion of each of said bottom plates having an inturned upwardly extending concave channel, and two pairs of priceindicating insert members fitting within said concave channels and having price indicia facing outwardly from both the front and rear of said display frame, said insert members having inwardly extending abutting flanges on the outer vertical edges thereof, each set of said plates comprising a wide plate having a whole number imprinted thereon and. a narrow plate having a fractional number imprinted thereon.

6. In a price-indicating sign, an exterior rectangular supporting frame, a rectangular swinging display frame hingedly secured to the upper portion of said exterior supporting frame and comprising an inturned channel member extending around the periphery thereof, two pairs of front and rear plate members located within said channel member at the top and bottom thereof and extending across the entire width thereof leaving an intermediate central aperture between said pairs of plates, the lower portion of each of said top plates having an inturned downwardly concave channel, the upper portion of each of said bottom plates having an inturned upwardly extending concave channel, and two pairs of priceindicating insert members fitting within said concave channels and having price indicia facing outwardly from both the front and rear of vsaid display frame, said insert members having inwardly extending abutting flanges on the outer vertical edges thereof, each set of said insert members comprising a wide plate having a wholenumber imprinted thereon and a narrow plate having a fractional number imprinted thereon, the wide plate at the front of the display sign being in alinement with the narrow plate at the rear of the display frame, and the narrow front plate being in alinement with the wide rear plate whereby the price of gasoline will be correctly exhibited on both front and rear of said sign.

ALBERT H. PULVER, JR. 

